The New York Herald Newspaper, April 11, 1863, Page 2

WHOLE NO. 9705. ” 4 THE FRENCH EXPEDITION TO MEXICO. The Powers of the Invader and : the Invaded. Graphic History of the Whole Enterprise. Resources and Patriotism of the Mexican People. INTERRSPING MISCELLANEOUS INFOBMATION, ke, a. a. © THE EDITOR OF THB NEW YORK BERALD. % compliance with your desire, 1 sen@ you for pratifica- tion a few pages from my “Diary of a Traveller 29 in refo rence to the affairs of Mexico. Although haste, they give a faithful idea of tho situation republic, Bow struggling against a poworful artied invasion, and, what is still worse, against the @fstracting elements in itsown bosom. The statements, many of them uncon- nected and distinct, which appear in this narrative, will show , notwithstanding, that side of truth which never ap- peers in official documents, and which the foreign public for the most part are entirely ignorant of, although it is far the most important, as standing at the foundation of the great questions in which nations take apart. For this reason) prefer to extract from my note-book of jtravol the scenes and incidents which, speaking ith the vigor of facts themselves, will ® me the necessity of long dissertations, fe they atiract the earnest attention of the popu- masses. If in this narrative you should find any- hing which appears more in form | ike a romance than a hronicle, you must not for thet reason doubt the trath herein contained. There ig not one single word which not strictly true, and which cannot be proved by a great umber of witnesses. No one knows better than yourself the grave interest bich the Franco-Mex#ean question bas for the -poopte of e United States, ¥ trust, therefore, that your great in- juence in this retpect will aid im excusing the want of rary merit in these lines. 1 remain, Mr. Editor, ke, ene ‘MY ARAB STEED. Fortunately there were few passengers on the steamer brought us from Aspinwall to New York; and, as og'the children of South America we take an open intmance ag ® good letter of introduction, and quickly nize, 1 soon found myself in company with a pew lend, engaged in a perfectly frank and cordial conversa- , without apy ceremony at all. ‘You, say, then that you are going to Vera Cruz to re- there?’’ was a question asked me by J. de Z. “At least while the war with the French continues,” my reply. “And are you Bot afraid of the yellow fever?” “T have bad it already, and it does not attack a person than once. -Besides, ] am going there on a commis- o for wy government, and | have to discharge aduty in service of my country.” “I wish you every succérs, aid 3 assure you that I ould accompany you with great pleasure if it were in y power todo so. The warin Mexico is of great inte- cs which possess much gold and litde strength. After exico Peru's turn will come, amd so on with all the republics of the South. Dos®% you think so too?’ “Probably, if (he Mexicans allow themselves to be oon- 2 now. Butl have some hepes that this will not be is wey fable that they must do so at some future time.”” “Provided it be mat too late, Sometimes | fear that e will force from Mexico one-half of its territory be- the civil war ef the United States of North America brought aclese. In such a case the evil would have remedy, beceuse there would have been already a for- | cession, with all the Decessary formality of law, w .e the prize secure.”” “Under aay circumstances it seems evident to me that French invasion is but the prelimioary of great p from bottom of my 't 1 dm glad that I ‘with ali their recommendations and merit they do yw what tod». | suppose you speak Englixb?’” “A very few words.’ “In euch @ case you would not find employment in a perhaps not in two.’” A 4 Certain about thist’’ Perfectly #0.” AWoll, as | do not feet very much inclined to perish of badxer, | would, under these circumstances, preter to Ko ‘with you on your voyage to Mexico. Hut’ am afraid ‘that | may not be the sort of man you require.” ned to believe differently. When two men ay to each otner, circumstances ge teach them to agree. Besides, 1 have this expe. , that, whenever I have required for an important Purporo a man OF means, Providence bas generally thrown them in my way. Let on see. Do you speak French?” “Just the sawe as our own language.” “Well, you are @ South American, an officer of the army — bat ie to say, acoustomed to fatigue and danger, speak Freoch well, aad desire to open the way to a ore ior yourset!, This is all that I could desire. We ‘will go to , and you shall not trouble your self about any expenses. Do you agree?’ “With ali my heart. But what if your government ahould disapprove of your action’ “then I will get you into the Mexicanarmy. You would not disiike tLe epaulets of a commander, would ‘The place-of commander? Impossible!’ And return with @ couple of decorations on your This, of course. Therocannot greater than @ medal obtained in the of avation. For ¢ will live aud travel together, and your me in my travels, at any par: ) my fast trends principal business will be to secom or to act a8 ® mensenger in cage | ain dicular piace.” ‘Pan’, be afraid. We South Americans are born horse 0.” “It will b@ necessary 00 go to the capital of Mexico and eo and military men More expecially goturn to the const very often. We will have to piss Wrough military eocampmente, and sometimes be com vito go through the lire of Preach aod Mex tear “Jo thet case all that @ needed is @ metticyome borne, Boet and strong.” De you forget that there vThat ie trae based gag tery, like those we ore in our wars.” 5S ne afraid that we shall THE /F Opening Fire y; ‘at the Rebel, BUGHT HOUSE BATTERY VARLESTON BEACON et Hi late the garrison of Vera Cruz? I ise you that if you Americans, I advived them to seck out some in this you shall not only be ® commander, but family im the tows and to sak thelr hospitality for 8 few General in-( bief of the Mexican armies." nights, until they could find employment, or | could find “Joke as much as you please; but I have a plan, and 4 is my secret, and I will keep it securely, in re- for your jokes.” at ts almost authorizing me vw doubt——’’ Nothing of the kind. J am indebted to you for a pro- tection as unexpected aa it is Kind, and lowe you a debt of gratitude as agentieman. You may rely upon the sincerity with which | speak, and you may count on the evsion of your Arab steed. "’ And this is the way in which, during my journey across the Isthmus of Panama to New York, |! gained a faithful success have you met?’ I asked found a lodging.”’ hore?” “In the little house next door.’” friend, an able and intrepid agent, and the right of pro. “Do they charge anything /’’ perty ina magnificent Arab colt, © real and beautiful | “No, nothing. My companion and myself can child of the desert. stay ‘there one week, bat no longer, becanse there i# no more than ene room im the house ‘The whole family sleep there, but they have given us a part of it. They say that the climate is bad, ana that too many cannot vongregate without risk." “Have you informed your friend? «We separated on leaving here, to himself, avd 1 have not seen ‘nee. Afew minutes afterwards FROM NEW YORK TO VERA CRUZ. I did not wish to remam im New York longer than was absolutely Deorssary, but uDforeseen difficulties threat- ened to prolong my #tay, and I resolved to leave J. de Z. to transact my business, and left New York on board of the steamer Matanzas. On the passage I was giad to moet with General George F. Shepley, Military Governor of the State of Louisiana, who was going to assume the command of bis departanent. The opinion of the Genera! on the French expedition to Mexieo coincided exactly with mine. The Mexicans have K feck each one for the other young man came to. “Well. Have you nuccesded?”? “T bad only to go to ove house, where I was immedi no fleet of war vessels, nor any fortified ports whieh could admitted.” poh Se on pene An ‘The “And how much do they c' ° concent many sbips De ironclad ON . The of the bourse say that Irigates, caloulated to transport thirty thousand soldiers tow brodiore Lees bel fm est to Vera Cruz, could, therefore, be with no otber view than the to prepare the way for future naval movements with re- to the United States, or, at least, v0 throw into the of the Northern civil ot he aton 10 ber voyage from New Ue eaaed in the papers of that cup viee him, through the Consul of the Ueited Seater in Ha. Vana, concerning any Operations Of tits kind whieh could interest bis povem ment. The rteatweby) lias from New Orieane to Vers Crus bad enema the Natéonat They emt throm th Ue reer ewery day, mOrMIDE wi were towrebty voll shded i the we « pombgred avovetter some three hundred wlavtry muri; Oeeee | ail (hm poorly Cea, sod anh rere cheers been sumpended for ame (ine ond Or Rome montbe no vessel bad raved for Mexean porte bul | hawe arendy aed that whewever } ribd Merl Of Puy LuMmtm w tral ever (or ouy imix rtamt purpose Provence atways NEW YORK, SATURDAY, /APRIL U1, 186 3.—TRIPLE SHEET. IGHT. “AT CHARLESTON. ; Stronghold on Tuesday, of the Rebel Batteries. all were without uniforms. Their arms, ancient thet of pearly half « cenvar; est and most remote portion ‘observe this circu tarily felt as much Lior pathy for these humble con verted into soldiers, ta dable of military Powers. serve the expression of these thet government aa sym- sone of the thus rudely ali possible care to ob- , but I could not discover anything beyond the naturally tranquil sir of men discharging the reguiar rout) After their drill was over come w: e of every day life, fend off vo guard cer tain points, while others returned heir houses, carry ing the cated young man Hite district, which me with them. litary commander—an intelligent and well eda C7e,me ome interesting information sides comprised some other amall The towns in the neighborhood, bad already sent off over four hundred men to the ermy of the Kast, one hundred aud seventy cavairy were encamped on the other side of the forest which surrounds Minatitlan, awaiting marching orders, and he himeelf was about to leave on the follow ing day to superinteod the departure of « contingent of sixty men from a emall town, which it appeared had de layed ite march t0o long. It results, therefore, that from a population of from four wo fv hoped to increase the num! had received vo pay. The poldiers received nothing except when ih quarters of when they left the: towne day, with rmall pay is frequently wi a thousand persona sx © into the army. and it was r to one thousand For pine or ten monrhe the leaders and cxber ofcars ail, undred men had already a0 and when each private receives twelve cents a more than fi nopply of food, while their very long perinds at time. All this, however, does py Aw J alert tbe tivity and constavey with which the military organiza tion of theee imtricte that nearly ai) the mem! sixty men bad found it progresses On the retarn of the young military commander I learnt bers of the wmall contingent of ible to march, in conne- quence of the endemie fevers of that reason Minatitian ie perhaps (be woret climate on that coast. Thick forests surround jt, #wampe which inundate and convert into . had made tho roads all but impassable, aod after waiting for tan days IT decided wo go U9 sea to Alvarado, ins ne Vrnenne, yorveg man of the eoWntEY was the caytoin, the ouuitier And the owner of (he cargo; one of im brothers seted o® Mate, aod the remainder of the crow was compeed of « | yusin there Yount 1988 and @ sailor from (ampeseby Not owe of them #y yet Binet with the Preseb expedition he second o( the brothers had been a prisoner in the hummds of the | evtved very fence (han saving coder the fing of bis country vadert, «@8 compinined that we hed 4 trextmwent from them. for ne other of fone they opened fire on the 1 tree eon the French as wen, # Bete tial animes ad (hoe the wn Fremetenen met with April 7, 1863---Position conduct drawn out in the private instructions which are given to their agents, Cals and northers had prolonged to #ix days and » half & voyage which is ordinarily made in twenty-(eur or thirty hours, We were near (o the entrance of the river of Alvarado when we were again becaimed. As! was I already out of patience, | proponed to the captain to pat m ¢,and I would proceed on foot the fow miles which divided us from the town. My two Frenchmen And © young Mexican, who acted as guide, came along with me, and together we began our journey A line of sandbanks extended the whole length of the seashore and slong the margin of the rivér. Atevery step we fank to the ankles to the @and. The horizontal rays of the sun were terrible we were ip the sutnmer sea | | son, almost in the middle of the day,and the thermome | ter could not have been below one hundred degrees. After | | half an hour's tramping were compelled Wo come toa halt; one of my young 3 ay “Look ne com pagaion and yet he is not ab the sand. All of t ‘apeooh”’ and recovery of the young man, we remumed our march but comime Up with « cance We paid the owner to take ux serom to the other side of the river, and arrived at Alvarado before the sloop, For three days the people of this place had not tasted bread, and in the = sheenee of four they had w fubemt on torias, oF cakes Of ground corn, when the Bonita droppet her anchor with « cargo f eoventy five barrels of the floor which the Wave fed’ brought trom New Oriesnt. ach of these gold at $40! The scarcity of nearly ai) Kinds of provisions, of cloth and other articles was foar(a! bere, i oer ian Lave weroetimes captured them bot a ba: inews was advantageoas and prfiiabie it war continued 6 4 larger scale ab every fresh ati The reealt of the wae that © portion of one bogee | mormer sgauet the anthorities, whom ” accored, with of without ream, of being eeborned | Dy the tnsne that were engaged in thes clandestine trade, | | qntil ot lemgth tbe captare of a large lot of cnttie let to the @u ory thet t Witery eanmal + for hein Wareportaton | me w review PRICE THREE CENTS Ubreatened with death ny the people who surrounded bim he owed his life to the interference of the wife o, one of bis friends. At last the artilleriste of the garrison resolved to liberate their chief; they brought out three or four pieces of feid artillery, and threatened to open fire on the insurrectioniaws, and restored their com: r to liberty and the power which had been rom bim. Thus ended this occurrence, and! must add to the honor of the off\ juded to, that he did not wish to follow upany of bis enemies, but contented with informing bis government of the unfortanase Iped ot. The people were evidently divided. The wealthier por- tion consisted of a large number of persons who, from the interest of their commerce or their property, would have accepted the French expedition. The popular masees, on the contrary, were resolved to repel by arms ever aggression of the onemy; and, although dissatinted wit their jeaders, they would voluntarily obey them with this view. This division was demoralizing the people, and coutributed in a great measure to the disorder which | have referred; and, a8 4 navural consequence, extended to the neighboring town of Tlacotalpan, where an ineident occurred greatly resembling that of Alvarado, In these small towns, of little political importance, there is, however, revealed, on a smaller seal the P glo of thowe «same opposing «elements §=which Dave been in conflict with each other in tho bosom of the republic for half a century and which have desolated her in lengthy civil wars, and brought her to the very verge of ruin. In these towns, as in cities of more importance, aclass of men, Dot very large in numbers, but in the enjoyment of all the soclety, advantage of their privileges, Clade the operation of the laws and the authority of the me, openly oppose themselves to them, and 'y with ail their power apd advantages to restrict the expansion of the people, with reference to their potsical liberty and tho development of their material prosperity. The Freuch expedition had produced and cou- greek scarcity. in the country, Kequently the profits of speculators had greatly increased ip an equal ratio to the miseries and sufferings of the peo- ple, This was, therefore, a dooble reason for detesting the expedition, and they resolved, as they have since Proved, to combat their invaders to the last extremity. The anniversary of the independence of Mexico war celebrated with great euthusiasm by the inhabitants, aad at the grand ball given in the Municipal Hall in honor of the event there were as many persons present as could contain, On the following day we went to visit the military commander, and found bim at » #mall fort, tarowa wp for the defence of the mouth of the river. This temporary fortification, although very defective in tte copstruction, could be, notwithstanding , of great service. It completely commanded the entrance by sea to the bar of the river, and all vessels would inevitably be compelled © pase within pistol shot of its four guna. A few simple tm- Provements which I pointed out to the commander would have placed the fort in a position to concentrate the fire of all ite pieces on ally given point, and would have made it difficult in the extreme, if not tmporsible, for any vessel whatever to pass the battery. Aw it was, if this little fort did not oer the best evidence of frost skill tn the ecience of military engineering, it wan at A very great proof of the patriotism of the people. The guns, which were thirty two, twenty four aud eighteen pounders, were taken from the depths of the sea, unexawpied fou, out Of the wrecks of two vessels which ig = ate f poor boys. A third part of the road, or a little less, runs along the seashore, between the belt of the waves, and the brow of the sand hilis which sree jp ilimitable every stop we mot with te brows: om these magnificent piains or guiber beneath ibe umbreteons boughe of tie hot » Among them, just in same on in the cities, the wame difference of mien could be perceived, although those who sympathized with tbo Freveh expedition were very cantious ib their conduct, out of fear, no doubt, of the bands of guerilieros that were always roaming through hore districts, Some of the owners of estates had secretiy offered tw sell to the French ali the caitie they might peed, provided they would send a sufficient force tw convoy them Im conse - 7. Of this proposition two expeditions of soldiers left ‘era Crus, but the attacks of the gucrilierce caused them Vo different owners, giving ment guaran pay Freach commissariat at Vere Cruz ' i meat by bave been mwlormed by everybody, without any varia. tion, concerning Uhis fact ia this: that a8 & ' i 7 Hl e Pot $43 natn Alter examining fability to give me en order for one of hie captaine, © the view that be should supply me with aa escort that might condnet me from Medellin to within & short du tance of Vera Crox. We then separated, | remember « circumstance worthy of olmervation. aaraueh a4 it ebOwS the positPre ad vanceren! «i the come = try i matters joteligense. The family ds poor cultivator, jo whee howe | siopped & few momenta, was receiving Siemeniary lemons in the principal branches @ education. hotwithatending the irolation of the place, and that ali the ebieren bad tw a resect, requented aod te examine men, bers pride whieh | May Ged Medellin | otmerved the h former discord bad © ion wore to be mewn and the soll denerted, where in other days < fonrinbed. The went with Vera Crux hed aise prodoced grees sear and there was scarcely any thing lo be potiord in the place except the movements of partion of guer lat qving and coimg on their daily exeursions. They bed dextre the rajiread teidge, and thor cut ff Ordinary commen ies ton with that port #0 that it was imporeible to take the journey excepton horseback, aod. stap by step, over the tleepers of the road. It wowid be difewit to make « more wearisome journey OF to travel over @ MOTE pltorcmque conmiry. On either tide of the road there was 9h exces Vation whieh the rains bad converted into twe jomte, and from (hese watert, on both sides. there serene # mag cont forest blooming With aii the latury of trepiesl + tation. The fertility Of the soll bad cnaned fewers end the ody that the horses fre quently sank w thelr knee the mire rd tad the oder that | teewrt TT to hom | pretented lag 40 0 me - rors state that, puch w (be mater@ whieh it offers for sintrwea@ten ww ge an, new 4 got diveover a # . waree toe anglers chile cowid tadiente Ube promineity ' y gueriiine who were ty leg Mt aemiee Be he road ope we arrived at Vers Gran, aA Open. ann, April 10, Laas. The lee blockade bere @ raieed. The Barter ie per fa o the tty of © at Gitereot par Poor Uy afver 8 The Harbor of Cleve tectly Onar Coart of Appeates. Aunany, April 16, 186a Coen ol Appenin colander (or Watertay Nem ma, 8, Pe 2 ee ee